Covid vaccine: Single-dose Sputnik Light gets DCGI nod for emergency use

Sputnik V is a heterogeneous vaccine which uses two different components in its two doses


India has got its ninth Covid vaccine as the country’s drug regulator approved the use of Sputnik Light or the single dose regime of Sputnik V for use in the country.

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in a tweet on Sunday that the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) granted emergency use permission to single-dose Sputnik Light Covid-19 vaccine in India.

“This is the 9th #COVID19 vaccine in the country. This will further strengthen the nation’s collective fight against the pandemic,” the minister said in his tweet.

Track Covid-19 footprint across the world

Dr Reddy's Laboratories ( DRL) is the marketing partner for Sputnik vaccines from Russia here.

There are several Indian manufacturing partners for the vaccine, including Serum Institute of India, Panacea Biotec and Hetero, among others.

Sputnik V is a heterogeneous vaccine that uses two different components in its two doses — Ad26 and Ad5. Sputnik Light is the first dose of Sputnik V.

So far, 1.2 million Sputnik V vaccines have been administered to Indians, according to Cowin data.

The vaccine is available in the private channel only, and the Centre has not procured it for free vaccination.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Govt panel recommends EUA for Covovax, Corbevax, Covid pill molnupiravir

Image
An expert panel of the country's central drug authority has recommended granting emergency use authorisation to SII's Covid-19 vaccine Covovax and Biological E's vaccine Corbevax An expert panel of the country's central drug authority has recommended granting emergency use authorisation to Serum Institute of India's COVID-19 vaccine Covovax and Biological E's vaccine Corbevax with certain conditions, official sources said on Monday. The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on COVID-19 of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) on Monday also recommended granting permission to manufacture and market anti-Covid pill Molnupiravir for restricted emergency use for treatment of adult patients with SpO2 93 per cent and who have high risk of progression of the disease, including hospitalisation or death, subject to certain conditions. All the recommendations have been sent to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for final approval. The SEC on COVID-19
Read more

Karnataka to jab 310,000 in 15-18 age group, 1.2 mn elders from Jan 3

Image
The Karnataka government has identified 31 lakh beneficiaries in the 15 to 18 age group for the first dose of vaccination and 12 lakh elderly people above the age of 60 years The Karnataka government has identified 31 lakh beneficiaries in the 15 to 18 age group for the first dose of vaccination and 12 lakh elderly people above the age of 60 years with comorbidities across the state for a booster dose. Sources in the health department stated that till date, the state government has vaccinated 76 per cent of the targeted population against Covid. Though jabbing 100 per cent beneficiaries still remains a top priority, the vaccination drive for 15 to 18 years will also be focused as this age segment has not received a single shot of Covid vaccine. The initiative will be taken with missionary zeal in the wake of fears of the Omicron variant and the third wave of Covid. The health department officials maintained that the number of elders might be more and they will also be covered when the
Read more

SARS-CoV-2 can damage heart blood vessels without infecting them

Image
The SARS-CoV-2 virus may contribute to the damage of small blood vessels in the heart as seen in severely-ill Covid-19 patients, without infecting them, a study shows. The research, published in the journal Clinical Science, indicates blocking antibodies could represent a new treatment to alleviate cardiovascular complications. A multidisciplinary research team led by the University of Bristol, UK, analysed how SARS-CoV-2 interacts with heart cells causing the myocardial damage seen in COVID-19 patients. Until now, it remained unclear whether heart cells are infected by the virus or damaged because of an excess cytotoxic defence response.   This response, also known as the cytokine storm', comes from our immune cells, whereby cytotoxic cells attack and kill the infected cells by releasing proteins, called cytokines. The study also investigated whether heart cells contribute to producing excess cytokines. The team led by Professor Paolo Madeddu exposed human heart pericytes, which a
Read more